Ramadan Preparation. ✨

                                    

                                          
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Assalamu alaykum, loves! ❤️ In this chapter, I'm going to be discussing tips and changes you can make in your life for the next few weeks in order to have a worship-filled ramadan, inshaaAllah!

                          
What is Ramadan? 
For those who don't know, Ramadan is one of the twelve Arabic months. It is a month which is venerated in the Islamic religion, and it is distinguished from the other months by a number of characteristics and virtues. Fasting is obligatory for every Muslim (who is healthy enough) during this whole month. 

                          
How to worship...


                          
1. Fasting 
                          
Allah has made fasting this month the fourth pillar of Islam, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): 
                          
"The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur'aan, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong). So whoever of you sights (the crescent on the first night of) the month (of Ramadan i.e. is present at his home), he must observe Sawm (fasts) that month..."
[al-Baqarah 2:185] 


                          
So fasting Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam. But during Ramadan, fasting is the bare minimum we should do. Minimum. 


                          
2. Prayers
                          
Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever spends the nights of Ramadaan in prayer out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven." 
Bukhari, 2014; Muslim, 760
                          
So prayer. Salah. Prayer isn't only obligatory in Ramadan of course. 
                          
Praying the 5 daily prayers is an obligation on every single Muslim, every single day of every single year. 
                          
'Abdullah bin Buraidah narrated that his father said:
"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'The covenant that distinguishes between us and them (disbelievers) is prayer; so whoever leaves it, he has committed Kufr.'"
Ibn Majah
                          
If you don't already pray your 5 daily prayers, then start TODAY. Set alarms for all the prayers, better yet download 'Athaan Pro' or another adhaan app so that you get reminded during all of the prayer times. 
If you already pray your five daily prayers, improve them. Focus on your concentration during prayers. Find out and memorize the meanings of everything you recite if you don't know them already. So many people don't even know the meaning of Surat Al-Fatiha even though we recite it at every rakah. SubhanAllah. 
                          
If you already know the meanings, then start praying more. Wake up for tahajjud! Pray nafl salah and engage in extra worship. 
                          
It is proven in the Qur'an and Sunnah that when a person dies, he will be called to account for every major and minor action he did in this world, whether it was good or bad. He will be rewarded for his good deeds and punished for his bad deeds. 
                          
The first stage of that reckoning is in the grave. In the grave the first thing a person will be asked will be: Who was your Lord? What is your religion? Who is this man who was sent amongst you? – as was narrated in the hadeeth of al-Baraa' ibn 'Aazib (may Allah be pleased with him), which was narrated by Abu Dawood in his Sunan (4753) and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 2979. 
                          
Then on the Day of Resurrection he will be brought to account for every major and minor action, even though he has already been brought to account for that in the grave. The first thing for which he will be brought to account for then will be his prayer.